What The Stars Really Think Of The President’s Immigration Ban

On January 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned the admission of refugees for 120 days and denied entry to citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries -– Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen – for 90 days. The order was largely regarded as a “Muslim ban” because it had certain stipulations that those who practiced a minority religion in these Muslim-majority countries may be allowed entry. Trump categorized his bill as “extreme vetting” of immigrants, and thousands of permanent residents and visitors were suddenly denied entry to the U.S., while protests roared outside of the nation’s largest airports.

Average citizens were not the only ones protesting Trump’s order. Many celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, and Lady Gaga have spoken out against the travel ban and questioned its legality.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie was so appalled by Donald Trump’s immigration ban that she penned a deeply emotional op-ed about the refugee crisis in The New York Times. The 41-year-old actress wrote that United States’ response to refugees should be “based on facts not fear.”

“It is simply not true that our borders are overrun or that refugees are admitted to the United States without close scrutiny. Refugees are in fact subject to the highest level of screening of any category of traveler to the United States,” she wrote. “This includes months of interviews, and security checks carried out by the F.B.I., the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.” Jolie currently is the special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has worked with the U.N. since 2001, carrying out over 50 missions.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence took to social media to slam the immigration ban and offered support to those who were affected. She posted a heartfelt message on her Facebook Page.

“My broken heart goes out to the innocent lives of Muslim refugees that are trying to escape terror and find safety for their families. I and millions of Americans understand that someone’s race or religion should never keep them in harm’s way. It should be every person’s duty to help and protect anyone no matter their nationality. I pray for sanity and compassion to return to the White House,” she wrote.

Ellen DeGeneres on Trump’s Mexican Border Wall

In DeGeneres’ film Finding Dory, the Australian fish Dory is on a search to find her parents who are in America. When she finally arrivin to America, she’s stuck behind a giant wall that’s keeping her from her family. DeGeneres used this image to speak out about Trump’s proposal to build a wall along the Mexican border.

“I don’t know what religion they are, but her dad sounds a little Jewish. It doesn’t matter,” said DeGeneres. “They all have to get over the wall and you won’t believe it, but that wall has almost no effect in keeping them out.”

Ellen DeGeneres on the Ban of Refugees

DeGeneres made it clear that she doesn’t like the idea of Trump’s Mexican border wall, and she also used Finding Dory to let everyone know that she doesn’t think keeping refugees out is okay.

“Animals that don’t even need her. Animals that don’t have anything in common with her,” DeGeneres says. “They help her, even though they’re completely different colors. Because that’s what you do when you see someone in need — you help them.” DeGeneres singly handedly made Trump look more foolish than a cartoon fish who can’t remember anything.

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen might be known as a happy-go-lucky comedic actor, but he took to social media to reject the idea of Trump’s immigration ban and let everyone know about his immigrant roots. Rogen’s family were actually refugees who fled a warn-torn Russia to establish themselves in Canada and America.

“One of the many reasons I am opposed to the #MuslinBan is because my family immigrated to North America after fleeing wars in Russia,” he wrote on Twitter. “One of the other reasons I oppose the #MuslimBan is that I feel its prime effect is persecuting innocent refugees.”

Simon Helberg

Simon Helberg plays a nerd on CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, but he isn’t anywhere near as shy and awkward in real life. Helberg has no problems taking a stand and speaking out against injustices. In fact, Helberg didn’t even have to use his voice to let everyone know what he thought about Trump’s immigration ban.

On the SAG Awards red carpet, Simon Helberg and his wife, Jocelyn Towne, held their own protest. Instead of focusing on fancy gowns and wearing the sharpest tux, Helberg carried a sign that set “Refugees Welcome” and Towne painted the words “Let Them In” across her chest.

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling has always been an outspoken celebrity, but as a person of color and a woman with immigrant roots, Trump’s immigration ban hit particularly close to home. The comedian and writer tweeted a passionate statement to her over eight million followers.

“I’m the child of people with green cards. It’s a simple twist of fate that I’m of Indian Hindu descent and not something else,” she wrote. “Please let’s not extinguish the hopes of people who love this country & want to work for it & help its citizens. & teach that to their kids.”

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen couldn’t attend an airport protest (though he probably would have if he could). The artist stood in solidarity with protesters during a concert in Adelaide, Australia on Monday night.

“Tonight we want to add our voices to the thousands of Americans who are protesting in airports around our country,” he said. “The Muslim ban, the detention of foreign nationals and refugees — America is a nation of immigrants and we find this antidemocratic and fundamentally un-American. Springsteen declared, “This is an immigration song” and began playing American Land. He later shared of a video of his speech on Twitter.

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her work in Hidden Figures. The critically acclaimed film tells the story of three black women who played pivotal roles at NASA while the organization put astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The film celebrated minorities’ contributions to our country, and Henson used her acceptance speech to talk about just that.

“This story is about what happens when we put our differences aside, and we come together as a human race,” she said. “We win. Love wins every time … They are hidden figures no more!”

Sarah Paulson

While accepting a SAG Award for The People v. O.J. Simpson, Sarah Paulson used her speech to ask for donations to the American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU is currently fighting Trump’s travel ban in courts after deeming it unconstitutional.

“It wasn’t a tough decision to come up with what I wanted to say. I am not an immigrant. I was born here,” she said. “So in terms of how I can speak about it from a personal standpoint from my youth or something, [that] wasn’t available to me, so I just wanted to have an opportunity to mention the inclusivity that I think is required right now in general, and the ACLU to me represents that across the board. And they do really rely on funds from people like you and me at this time.”

Ashton Kutcher

Trump’s immigration ban strikes really close to home for Ashton Kutcher. If refugees were banned in America, he would have never met his wife Mila Kunis. The actor took to Twitter to talk about his outrage.

“My wife came to this country on a refugee visa in the middle of the Cold War! My blood is boiling right now!” he wrote. “We have never been a nation built on fear. Compassion that is the root ethic of America. Our differences are fundamental 2R sustainability.” Kutcher also opened the SAG awards with a powerful statement. “Good evening fellow SAG-AFTRA members and everyone at home, and everyone in airports that belong in my America,” he said. “You are a part of the fabric of who we are, and we love you and we welcome you.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

While accepting her award for HBO’s Veep at the SAG awards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus dedicated part of her speech to slamming Trump’s immigration ban. She is the daughter of a man who fled his country because of religious persecution and declared the ban “un-American.”

“I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant,” she said. “My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France. And I’m an American patriot and I love this country. And because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it’s un-American.”

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington made a subtle statement about Trump’s immigration ban on the SAG awards red carpet. The Scandal actor wore a safety pin on the sleeve of her dress for solidarity.

She told E!, “[It’s a] symbol of solidarity and standing up for people who are feeling endangered at this time… So, it’s just my little accessory to say we have to stick together and show up for each other, because I happen to be at an award show tonight, and there’s other things going on in the world that are a little more important.”

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano may not have been very active in the Hollywood scene as of late. In 2016, she only starred in one film, the TV movie What Goes Around Comes Around. That doesn’t mean Milano has a small following. The actress tweeted her disdain for Trump’s travel ban to her nearly 3 million Twitter followers.

Mia Farrow

Mia Farrow mourned for America after the Muslim ban, but didn’t let her sorrow consume her. She used it to enact change. The actress encouraged those who were outraged by the ban to call their representative in DC and let them know. She posted the number that will connect you to your rep to her 768,000 followers. She also posted the number in profile.

If you are outraged by the ban on refugees, tell your Representative in DC. This is the DC switchboard 202-225/3121. They will connect you,” She tweeted, later adding “Oh my country, my country” surrounded by broken heart emojis.

Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale isn’t the most politically vocal celebrity. It’s hard for her to shake her Disney image after starring in High School Musical, and the last thing you think when you think Ashley Tisdale is controversy. Well, this may be because she subtly jabs her progressive political opinions in a way those not looking for it would notice.

Ashley spoke out against Trump’s travel ban by posting lyrics to the Black Eyed Peas “Where Is The Love?”“But if you only have love for your own race. Then you only leave space to discriminate. And to discriminate only generates hate,” she wrote.

Ashton Irwin

You may recognize Ashton Irwin as one of the pop punkers in the massive pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, but what you don’t know is that he’s a budding political activist. The musician tweeted to his over six million followers letting them know how horrified he is that “Muslim Ban” is even a phrase he has to read.

“Also. The fact that ‘Muslim ban’ comes up on my Twitter is so horrible. I love you all, we are all flesh and blood. We are no different,” He wrote. ” I am happy to be a part of a whole generation of humans, that see the light in the human future. We will keep fighting to live as one people.”

Lena Dunham

Actress and writer Lena Dunham is always outspoken about what she believes in. This is why some felt it was odd that she remained mostly quiet about Trump’s election. It turns out she was quiet because it was too painful. Apparently it was so painful for her that she ” stopped being able to eat food” and lost a lot of wait because of the “soul-crushing pain.”

She didn’t directly comment on the Travel ban, but she retweeted her boyfriend’s call for donations to the ACLU and publicized deleting the Uber app from her phone after Uber did not support the New York Taxi Workers Alliance protest against the ban.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga made a very powerful did towards Donald Trump and the immigration ban during her halftime show. Her dig was so subtle, yet so powerful that even Mike Pence, who sat in the sidelines, probably got the hint.

Gaga opened the show with a version of “This Land is Our Land,” which has become an anthem for those opposing Trump’s ban, as the lights sparkled behind her in red, white and blue. She then performed “Born This Way” which includes the lyrics “No matter gay, straight or bi/Lesbian, transgendered life/I’m on the right track baby/I was born to survive.”

Sophia Bush

The Chicago PD star, Sophia Bush, got a little political on Twitter. She used her words to show how callous it really is to ban refugees fleeing the very terrorists we’re trying to protect the U.S. from. “THESE are the HUMAN BEINGS Trump banned today,” she wrote. “REFUGEES fleeing ISIS. Children. Their families. Shame on him. May God help us.”

Bush also retweeted a fact from The New York Times that stated the chances of a citizen in the US being killed by a refugee is one in 3.64 billion. She commented, “Go ahead & let that sink in, while we ban people from fleeing terrorist regimes & photographs of dead children on the news become > normal.”